By Canadian Press

In the news today, April 11

Apr 11, 2019 | 1:30 AM

Six stories in the news for Wednesday, April 11

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MILITARY SHAVES RESTRICTIONS ON PONYTAILS

The Canadian military isn’t letting its hair down just yet, but for the first time, women in uniform will be allowed to wear ponytails. The move, which also makes nylon stockings optional when in a skirt and permits flat shoes instead of pumps or oxfords, is the latest effort to modernize the Canadian Armed Forces after the recent easing of restrictions on beards, boots and off-duty marijuana use. It also comes amid a concerted effort by senior commanders to increase the number of women in the military, which has so far moved slower than some had hoped. Chief Warrant Officer Alain Guimond, the military’s top non-commissioned officer, says the military is trying to better reflect the Canadians they serve while welcoming new members into the ranks.

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TRUDEAU DEFENDS CHANGES TO ASYLUM LAWS

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer sidestepped questions about the changes to refugee eligibility proposed by the Liberals, focusing instead on his own party’s belief in an immigration system that is “fair, orderly and compassionate.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending controversial changes to asylum laws included in an omnibus budget bill tabled this week. He says his government wants to ensure Canada’s refugee system is fair for everyone. Scheer blames Canada’s border woes on Trudeau, based on a tweet he issued in 2017 in which he welcomed refugees to Canada.

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SCHOOL SHOOTER TO APPEAL FOR YOUTH SENTENCE

A lawyer for a young man who shot and killed four people and injured seven others in northern Saskatchewan is to argue in court today that the offender should serve his sentence as a youth. The shooter was weeks shy of turning 18 when he killed two brothers at their home and then a teacher and a teacher’s aide at the La Loche high school in 2016. He was sentenced as an adult last year to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years after pleading guilty to first-degree murder, second-degree murder and attempted murder. Defence lawyer Aaron Fox plans to ask the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal to sentence the shooter as a youth or order a new hearing.

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FIRST MODIFIED SALMON TO HIT CANADIAN STORES

Genetically modified salmon raised in Prince Edward Island are poised for the leap to grocery shelves. This is a Canadian first but has left traditional producers concerned about setting their farmed fish apart. Environment Canada recently gave notice it has approved U.S.-based AquaBounty to grow the salmon at its site about 74 kilometres east of Charlottetown. AquaBounty says it would begin stocking its Rollo Bay facility “as soon as possible,” with the first harvest of AquAdvantage salmon estimated late next year. Sylvain Charlebois, director of the agrifood analytics unit at Dalhousie University, says it’s likely AquaBounty “production will be ramped up in Canada.”

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DEADLY RABBIT DISEASE RETURNS TO VANCOUVER ISLAND

British Columbia’s chief veterinary officer is urging anyone who sees a dead rabbit or notices rabbit colony populations declining to report them to conservation officers so officials can monitor the potential spread of a deadly virus. Jane Pritchard says four rabbits in the Parksville area tested positive for calicivirus, which is highly contagious and causes rabbit hemorrhagic disease. The virus can kill rabbits in 36 hours but does not affect any other animals or humans. It was first identified in the province last year and killed hundreds of rabbits across much of Vancouver Island and in Delta near Vancouver.

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RETIRING CALECHE HORSES TO BE FOUND NEW HOMES

The City of Montreal is planning to save the famed carriage horses from the glue factory. The city announced yesterday it will offer to buy the animals for one thousand dollars each and give them to the SPCA, which will work with a refuge to find them new homes. The carriages, called caleches, will be taken off the roads by the end of the year. A council member noted a lot of the owners started to talk about how they would send their animals to a slaughterhouse and different things.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS:

— Taiya Alice Hudy to appear in court charged with second-degree murder in the disappearance of Colin Robert Focht. The 25-year-old man was last seen Aug. 21, 2018, and human remains thought to be his were found outside Yorkton, Sask., April 4.

— The Commons defence committee hears from Lt. Gen. Paul Wynnyk, vice-chief of the defence staff, appears alongside two senior military officials for a study on diversity within the Canadian Armed Forces.

— The House of Commons justice committee meets to discuss a request to study breaches of confidentiality in respect of the Supreme Court appointment process.

The Canadian Press